Chapter 62: Relief in the Valley

As the sun sank and the bright moon hung high, bizarre and terrifying howls echoed continuously across the wasteland. Once night fell, the strength of the monsters increased dramatically, and they grew even more ferocious and bloodthirsty.

Lingering in the wasteland at night was undoubtedly a foolish choice. Once discovered by the monsters, the chances of escape were exceedingly slim.

If one had to stay overnight in the wasteland, it was best to find a safe hiding place to ensure some measure of security.

This cave was an ideal choice. Once the entrance was blocked with stones, it was instantly sealed off from the outside world.

Caught between sleeping and waking in the middle of the night, Tang Zhen suddenly heard heavy footsteps coming from outside the cave. With the help of the map, he was able to see the scene outside without leaving the cave.

A giant monster standing a full ten meters tall was walking past the rocky hills. It had a human-like torso, but its skin was mottled like a rhinoceros, it carried a massive club made from a giant bone, and a cold gleam flashed within its single gigantic eye!

Tang Zhen did not dare to scan this monster's information, fearing it might alert the creature, but the terrifying aura radiating from its entire body gave Tang Zhen a shivering sensation reminiscent of facing a Corpse Fiend Lord.

Or rather, this was a Lord-class monster whose strength had reached Tier 6!

Tang Zhen shook his head inwardly. Ever since the Corpse clan descended, higher-level monsters had frequently appeared near this region more and more often. He could not tell whether this was a blessing or a curse!

Fortunately, the Cyclops was merely passing by; otherwise, a single swing of its club would have been enough to smash the small cave sheltering Tang Zhen and the others into ruins.

Perhaps because the Cyclops passed by and its terrifying aura intimidated the other lower-level monsters, the howling that had previously echoed back and forth suddenly ceased entirely. The silence was suffocatingly heavy, and even Tang Zhen feared that breathing too loudly would alert the monsters.

They survived the night safely, and after eating breakfast, the group continued on their journey.

Time passed slowly. The rocky hill terrain gradually gave way to an endless plain covered with sparse weeds. Giant plants, similar in shape to cacti but countless times more grotesque, stood sparsely across the plain.

These plants grew five meters tall and were covered in sharp, venomous thorns. Once any living creature came within range of their root systems, they would shoot out these thorns. The venom had the effect of dissolving flesh, killing and melting prey to provide the nutrients required for the plant's growth.

The piled white bones surrounding these plants were the best proof of this.

The group carefully skirted around this terrifying flora, staying as far away as possible.

As noon approached, Qian Long suddenly reached out and pointed forward, shouting, "Brother Tang, that's it!"

Hearing this, Tang Zhen's spirits lifted. He immediately looked in the direction Qian Long was pointing and saw the place Qian Long had spoken of.

It was a huge valley. Three sides of the valley were nearly a thousand meters high, sheer cliffs that jutted abruptly out from the flat terrain. The entrance, devoid of cliffs, had a very flat ground completely devoid of vegetation, and deep in the center of the valley, a large lake was faintly visible.

The total area of the valley was around thirty square kilometers, which could be considered quite spacious. In Tang Zhen's view, this terrain made it an exceptional location for building a city.

Yet, a trace of doubt lingered in Tang Zhen's mind. He wondered if such a prime location was currently occupied by wanderers. Still, even if it were, Tang Zhen intended to seize it back. If the occupants proved unreasonable, he would simply have to resort to force.

The mere thought that his very own tower city and sphere of influence would be established here in the near future made Tang Zhen's heart surge with excitement.

The weather today was fine, with the gentle sunlight bathing them in a particularly comfortable warmth.

Seeing that their destination was right before their eyes, Tang Zhen and his companions were in high spirits and quickened their pace significantly. However, just as the five of them stepped into the valley, a burst of fierce shouting and screaming, mixed with the shrieks of monsters, drifted faintly from afar.

Tang Zhen's eyes narrowed as he thought to himself that wanderers really did inhabit this place!

Now was not the time to dwell on such matters, however. Tang Zhen immediately raised his rifle, quickened his pace, and rushed toward the source of the sound. Qian Long and the others also drew their weapons and followed closely behind, though Tang Zhen ordered Murong Ziyan to hold back and keep her younger sister at a distance to avoid danger.

Passing through the grass in the valley, they soon arrived at the source of the noise.

There, on the grassy shore of a clear lake, six human men and women in ragged clothing were surrounded by a pack of green monsters. These monsters stood only about 1.4 to 1.5 meters tall, each one hideously ugly, holding wooden clubs, short swords, and other weapons as they bared their teeth and snarled at the six humans, launching attacks.

Although a dozen dead monsters and the corpse of a single human lay scattered across the ground, it did nothing to dampen their battle lust; their eyes remained filled with bloodthirst and madness.

All six of the trapped humans were wounded. One of them had their abdomen seemingly torn open, and blood stained their tattered clothes and trousers. An ant colony could kill an elephant, let alone monsters of this caliber. It was clear their stamina was completely exhausted, and they were relying purely on sheer willpower to fend off the monsters' relentless harassment.

Upon seeing the physical appearance of these monsters, Tang Zhen immediately recognized their origin: Tier 1 bloodthirsty goblins!

He had fought these monsters before and had killed several of them.

Tang Zhen observed the combat style and strength of this pack of bloodthirsty goblins, then compared them to his own weaponry, equipment, and prowess. He concluded that the moment for him to play the savior had arrived.

Waving his hand at Qian Long and the others behind him and signaling Murong Ziyan to stay hidden, Tang Zhen slowly approached the rear flank of the monsters. Finding no further cover less than ten meters away, Tang Zhen brandished the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle in his hands, let out a roar, and charged forward.

Using a battle cry to bolster momentum!

Tang Zhen's roar not only startled the monsters but also gave a glimmer of hope to the trapped humans. Exchanging glances through their filthy face-masks, they once again made a desperate push to break through the monsters' encirclement.

Five or six monsters howled and charged at Tang Zhen. The foremost creature, possessing a bulkier build, opened its cavernous maw to reveal yellowish canine teeth, brandishing a sharpened iron rod as it rushed forward.

Tang Zhen let out a cold snort, unhurriedly raising his Type 56 semi-automatic rifle. Dealing with these Tier 1 monsters did not require wasting his bullets.

The sharp triangular bayonet targeted the monster's head and thrust forward with lightning speed.

"Squelch!"

A stream of foul-smelling blood spewed from the bloodthirsty goblin's eye socket as Tang Zhen's bayonet burst its eyeball. A split second later, the tip of the blade emerged from the back of its skull, spraying another jet of foul blood.

With a swift kick, Tang Zhen sent the thoroughly dead bloodthirsty goblin flying away.

Seeing the bloodthirsty goblin fall dead, the remaining creatures lunging at Tang Zhen actually paused for a fraction of a second. Meanwhile, one of the trapped humans let out a great laugh and shouted, "Fine moves! Taking out the bloodthirsty goblin leader in a single blow—we're saved this time!"

As it turned out, the bloodthirsty goblin he had just killed was actually the leader of this pack!

Careless whether it was a leader or not, Tang Zhen slashed down another bloodthirsty goblin with his rifle, then lined up his sights on one preparing to ambush Qian Long, pulled the bolt, and squeezed the trigger.

"Crack!"

With a sharp report, half of that bloodthirsty goblin's skull was blown away by the bullet, and it collapsed limply to the ground.

The sudden gunshot caused everyone's movements to stall. Those bloodthirsty goblins seemed to recognize the terrifying power of the rifle, and hesitation flickered across their hideous, stinky faces.

Yet Tang Zhen did not hesitate at all. His weapon struck out repeatedly, dropping the monsters closest to him onto the ground one after another.

"Awoo-awoo...!"

Seeing their peers slaughtered one by one, the bloodthirsty goblins instead had their innate ferocity thoroughly triggered. Baring their mouths wide in unison, they let out a howl and lunged madly at Tang Zhen in a suicidal charge.

Tang Zhen opened fire once again. Qian Long and Fatty Da Xiong flanked him on the left and right, wielding a battle saber and a spiked club with sweeping, powerful motions. The two sides collided head-on, and the bloodthirsty goblins immediately shrieked in agony, frequently sent flying through the air like broken ragdolls.

For a time, flesh and blood flew everywhere amidst continuous screams. The formidable trio swiftly took down over twenty bloodthirsty goblins in the blink of an eye. The sheer madness and ferocity of the three men left the six rescued individuals gaping in utter astonishment.

Seeing the bloodthirsty goblins scattered and decimated, the six surviving wanderers naturally refused to miss the opportunity. They fought desperately against the remaining monsters, quickly driving them into a panicked rout.